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(No Model.)

E. HERMITE & U. P. COOPER.

APPARATUS FOR BLEAUHING BY ELEGTROLYSIS. No. 378,681. Patented Feb. 28,1888.

STATES PATENT Orrrca.

EUGENE HERIVIITE AND CHARLES E. COOPER, OF POWVN ALL ROAD, DALS 'ION,COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS OF ON I] THIRD TO EDYVARD JAMESPATERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING BY ELECTROLYSIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,681fdated February28, l 888. Application filed October 25, 1887. Serial No. 253,354. (Nomodel.) Patented in England February 8, 1887, No.1,993.

T (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EUGENE HERMITE, a citizen of the United States, andCHARLES FRIEND Ooornn, a citizen of England, both residing at PownallRoad, Dalston, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Apparatus for Electrolyzing, Bleaching, orDisinfecting Liquor, of which the following is a specifica- IO tiou.

Our invention relates to apparatus for electrolyzing in a continuousmanner solutions, usually those of chloridcs,emp1oyedfor blcaclr ing ordisinfecting purposes, the solutions be- 1 iug caused to circulatethrough the vessel or vessels in which they act, then through theelcetrolyzing apparatus, where they are subjected to the action of acurrent of electricity,

then back to the vessel or vessels to act again,

and so on continuously.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal section. Fig. 2is a transverse section, and Fig. 3 is a plan, of electrolyzingapparatus according to our invention.

\Vithin a trough, A, having an inlet, a, and outlet a for the liquor tobe electrolyzed, we fix on insulatirig-supports several hollow cylindcrs, B, of which three are shown in the drawiugs,each of thesecylinders being a shell 0 of platinum or metal lined or internallyplated with platinum. Centrally within each of these cylinders aplunger, O, of zinc, is made to re ciprocate to and fro, all theseplungers being for that purpose attached to a cross-head, D,

from which a rod, E, passing through a stuffing-box, is linked by aconnectingrod, F, toa revolving crank, G. Each plunger 0 passes throughguides H, armed with scrapers h, the edges of which lightly bear on thesurface of 4.0 the zinc.

The cylinders B are connected by a conductiug-wirefiV, to one terminalof an electricgenerator, from the other terminal of which a wire,W,leads to a set of brushes, K, that rub 5 on the rods E, so as tocommunicate electrically with the zinc plungers O. The liquor enteringby a, flowing along the trough A to a,through the narrow annular spacesbetween the cylinders 13 and the plungers 0, while the current ofelectricity passes through it, be- 5 comes electrolyzed, and theplungers O as they move to and fro have their surfaces kept clean by thescrapers h.

Although in what precedes we have mentioned platinum or platinizedsurfaces as being suitable for the one electrode or set of electrodes inthe apparatus,there are cases in which material cheaper than platinumcan be employed, especially when it has only to transmit a moderatecurrent of electricity. In 6Q such cases we use pure plumbago, eithernatural pluinbago cut to the desired form or plumloago compressed to theform required, or glass, ceramic Ware, vulcanite, or other inertnon-conducting material faced with plumbago. 6

When plumbago is used for forming the conducting-facing, it should becarefully purified by boiling it in hydrochloric acid while chlorate ofpotash is added in several doses to the boiling mixture.

Having thus described the nature of our invention and the best means weknow of carrying it out in practice, we claim- In apparatus forelectrolyzing, bleaching, or disinfecting liquor, the combination of aset of horizontal cylinders, of platinum or its equivalent-,fixedinsulated in a trough through which the liquor llows, with zinc plungersmoving to and fro within the said cylinders and through guides armedwith scrapers, sub- 89 stantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 10th day of October, A.D. 1887. v

E. HERMITE. CHARLES F. COOPER.

Witnesses:

OLIVER IMRAY, Patent Agent, 28 Southcmtpton Buildings, Lon

don, W. U.

JNo. P. M. MILLARI), Clerk to Messrs. Abel (9; Immy, ConsultingEngenears (ii/Patent Agents, 28 Southampton Build tags, London, W. C.

